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In the July 2016 edition of The Christian Chronicle,reporter Bobby Ross Jr wrote an interesting article about the LGBTQ community wanting to put religious colleges on the “shame” list. It seems that these activists want to punish these institutions for their standing firm on traditional Biblical beliefs on sexuality and gender identity. They want the federal government to revoke Pell Grants and for the NCAA to expel these schools from their ranks because of their faith. Although the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling on same-sex marriage being legal the matter is a little more complicated when it pertains to the sacred (religious) as opposed to the secular. The following is offered for consideration:
Title IX of the Civil Rights Act (1972) prohibits discrimination based on “sex” and it was ‘originally’ intended to protect females from differential treatment in the field of education [esp. sports activities]. The legislation, as it is currently interpreted does not apply to someone who “self-identifies” as a particular gender or no gender at all. The law would have to be amended to include “gendered/non-gendered” persons for it to be legally enforceable; and even then, it would indemnify Christian or other religious institutions. The First Amendment states: Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibit the free exercise [of religion] thereof. Any Christian organization, parochial school or institute of higher learning engaging in the functioning of their responsibility, in practicing and teaching their religious traditions in faithful commitment to the Bible as the inspired word of God is protected under the Constitution.
This is not to ignore the fact that some individuals among the community of faith are not welcoming to LGBTQ individuals and show extreme intolerance, bigotry, discrimination, and the love of Jesus Christ is certainly absent in their behaviors. Having admitted this, though, any believer has the right to express whatever they feel but the institution itself cannot be blamed for the actions of a few misguided, insecure, neurotic, over-zealous, and fanatical troublemakers. Be that as it may, one’s religious convictions cannot be ignored as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Hobby Lobby case. In June 2013 the nation’s highest Court upheld the ruling by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. In that decision the Justices agreed that co-founders David and Barbara Green were not required to provide against their religious beliefs (practices) insurance coverage for prescription drugs or medical devices that could be used by female employees who wanted to get an abortion. The green’s argued, and quite successfully I might add, that forcing them to include the provision in the company insurance plan “substantially” burdened their religious belief in violation of federal law- the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
RFRA (1993??), passed into law by Congress, prohibits any government agency, department, or official of the United States or any State government from “substantially” burdening a person’s exercise of religion – even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, “except” the government may burden a person’s exercise of religion “only” if it demonstrates [can demonstrate] that the application of the burden to the person [organization/institution??]
furthers a compelling government interest [NOTE: not the same thing as ‘substantial’ as it pertains to a “suspect class];
and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling interest.
In the case of Hobby Lobby, I believe Justice Breyer opined, “Americans do not lose their religious freedom when they run a family business.” So, if Christian owners of a business that has a secular activity can be protected from government intrusion under RFRA [and the First Amendment . . . emphasis mine], then what about the same should be for Christian and all other institutions whose activities serve a religious function? To punish these schools or threaten with punitive action, when as with Antigone by the poet Sophocles, one must be guided by a higher law [law of conscience or to deity], would be obscene indeed, and not worthy of our founding principles.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St #701
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 6, 2016
[email protected]
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Here in British Columbia Canada, Trinity Western College, for over 5 decades, has been a first class, post secondary facility, revered by Christians for its resolute stance on staying true to its Biblical convictions and holding students to the same.
It's recently been legislated that TWU must allow GLBTQ students to practice their lifestyle without interference from the College.
But the facts are these : TWU is a Christian University designed to accommodate Christian students. And never once, in 50 years, did a heterosexual student complain or challenge the rules. Never once. The students understood that TWU was a Christian school and premarital sex was part of the code. Not one snivelled to the press or to any other source,,indignant about their rights to have heterosexual relations.
The college was merely trying to ensure that the